Prosecuting, Stephen Poole said on June 16 after the argument in the pub, Miss Rumsby left with a glass of water in her hand and threw it over Campbell when they were outside. “The argument continued and he assaulted her in the street,” said Mr Poole. “He punched her in the face causing her to fall to the floor. She ran off, he followed and hit her head against a car window.”

The court heard that Miss Rumsby suffered a cut to her right elbow, bruising and swelling to the head and a black eye and had hospital treatment.

Mr Poole said Campbell admitted there had been an argument but that Miss Rumsby “ran into the back of the car”.

Mitigating, Rob New said while Campbell had shown remorse for his actions, he felt “angry” about the circumstances and that he ended up being seen as the “bad guy”.

Mr New said: “The victim has a criminal history herself. The incident itself started not at the behest of Campbell but was started by Miss Rumsby. In some witness statements it is her who is seen shouting, swearing and gesturing towards him as if she wants to have a fight with him.”

Mr New said Campbell had suffered with his health in recent months and had lost his “well-paid job” as a result.

Magistrates said because the offence happened in a public place, it caused “fear and alarm” to the public.